According to Arash Madani, Brandy Halladay, the widow of the late Roy Halladay, has said that the newly elected Hall of Fame pitcher will go into Cooperstown wearing neither a Blue Jays cap or a Phillies cap.
It’s a somewhat surprising decision. Halladay had some of the finest moments of his career in Philadelphia, such as his May 2010 perfect game, his October 2010 postseason no-hitter and his 2010 National League Cy Young Award. But he spent 12 years in Toronto, as opposed to his four in Philadelphia. He won 148 games as a Blue Jay versus 55 as a Phillie. 2749.1 innings versus 702.2. Clearly, Halladay racked up more statistics in Toronto than in Philadelphia.
Additionally, when Halladay retired, he signed a one-day contract with the Blue Jays. The Star also reported back in 2016 that the pitcher said he would want to go into the Hall of Fame wearing a Blue Jays cap, should he be elected.
Of course, Halladay could have very well changed his mind in private. ‘Doc’ shined in both cities, and both played crucial parts in his time as a baseball player.
Greg Maddux has a similar case to this one. Having played 11 seasons with the Atlanta Braves and 10 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, the 355-game winner decided to go in with a cap that sported no team because he couldn’t decide between the Cubs or Braves.
While some fans might be upset over the decision, it’s important to respect the Halladay family’s decisions. As Brandy said, Halladay loved Toronto and Philadelphia. In addition, the family wants him to be remembered as who he was- a baseball player, and one of the greatest pitchers of the last 30 years. Whether or not Halladay wears a cap with a logo into the Hall does nothing to change that fact that he turned in a career worthy of being elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.
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